National Geographic Channel

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  • TABOO 9

  • Thursday 23 May at 20:00 PM CAT
  • National Geographic Channel

DESCRIPTION

One man's meat is another's taboo. In season 8 of Taboo some of the most confronting behaviours, rituals and beliefs from around the world come under sharp focus. With stories ranging from secret identities to illicit love, bizarre remedies to gruesome death rituals, and from the grittiness of street fighting to the grim realities of alcohol abuse, Taboo offers a front row seat to some of the most bizarre and controversial aspects of human behaviour. Shot in HD, Taboo travels to Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas to uncover the truth behind the taboos. Be amazed!

Every culture has its rituals and codes of living. We delve into the bizarre or confronting practices of cultures around the world.

What drives someone to insert stainless steel fishing hooks into another person’s back so they can hang from the ceiling by their flesh? How is the practice of thrusting hands into gloves filled with stinging giant bullet ants — and enduring the pain over and over — acceptable within a culture? In some societies around the world, practices like these reflect deeply held traditional beliefs or deliberate lifestyle choices. But to others outside the culture, they may seem grotesque, dangerous or.. Taboo.

We take you beyond your comfort zone and across cultural borders to explore rituals and customs that are acceptable in some cultures but forbidden, illegal or reviled in others. Crossing the boundary between modern practices and ancient beliefs, this series showcases a mosaic of human lifestyles and values.

Each episode will examine one issue from a variety of perspectives, often venturing into rarely seen societies. We journey to six continents and 19 countries, featuring 25 indigenous cultures. Hear from some of the world’s most renowned and respected anthropologists and sociologists, who examine a diverse range of cultures. Explore rites of passage, unique lifestyle choices, body modification, gender decisions, nudity and spiritual quests that test the limits of the human body.

EPISODE GUIDE

  • Taboo 9: Misfits
    Exploring the lives of misfits, including an Australian who believes his right leg is not part of his body and an Englishman who eats roadkill.
  • Taboo 9: Fat
    With the planet facing an obesity epidemic, discover how traditional ideals of beauty are being altered by pageants such as 'Miss Plus America'.
  • Taboo 9: Sex Stunts
    Thanks to a number of dark vampire movies, the frightening and gruesome creatures are back in vogue. Vampires once roamed the lands of Eastern Europe. Just as mysterious is the question who sat for the Mona Lisa and what are these strange codes encrypted into the famous painting? Astounding clues that suggest that after the death of Jesus, Mary Magdalene fled to France, taking with her, their child. Strange stirrings and hidden enigmas from the ancient world lead modern scholars, archeologists and searchers on quests into the unknown; each story delving deep into the murky past. Some roads lead to debunked legends, but others head down mysterious pathways to startling ends. Go deep enough. Unearth astonishing clues. Connect the dots. The Truth is Back There. The Ancient X Files II marks the spot.
  • Taboo 9: Narcotics
    With some societies now legalising some narcotics, can drug use still be considered taboo in today's world?
  • Taboo 9: Beyond the Grave
    Death comes to us all, yet we deal with it in different ways. Enter a place where the world of the living crosses over with that of the dead.
  • Taboo 9: Extreme Collectors
    From Viktor's collection of baby skeletons to Jim's 'Noah's Ark' with 550 live animals, discover how some collectors' passions cross the line.
  • Taboo 9: Trials Of Faith
    Across the world, people engage in taboo rituals and test their faith by risking their lives, including impaling their flesh and drinking poison.
  • Taboo 9: Private Passions
    Liliane takes her human puppy for a walk in the park while Matt and his fiancée share an unusual fetish for skintight body suits known as zentai.
  • Taboo 9: Extreme Performers
    Across the world, performers risk their lives for extreme entertainment. Meet the London couple who perform sadistic acts live on stage.
  • Taboo 9: Ugly
    In Texas, an electrical accident leaves Dallas Wiens' face grossly disfigured, and he has to learn to live without eyes, nose or facial identity.
  • Taboo 9: Sex Swap
    Enter the world of the transgender community, where men and women will undergo surgery and inject hormones to change their sex.
  • Taboo 9: Food
    What makes a food taboo? Take a spin around the globe in search of food taboos, some hilarious, others deadly serious. Through it all we learn that like language, eating habits are a key definer of culture.
  • Taboo 9: Nasty Jobs
    From house cleaners in Minneapolis to trash miners in Guatemala, the filth nobody wants around is an everyday sight for these dirty job workers.
  • Taboo 9: Signs Of Identity
    In Canada, members of an extreme group scar their bodies with hot metal, while Japanese gangsters show their identities by full-body tattoos.
  • Taboo 9: Skin Deep
    For some cultures, cutting the skin is a rite of passage. Travel to Papua New Guinea where men face one of the most painful initiations on Earth.
  • Taboo 9: Prostitution
    A look at modern-day prostitution in the developing world, where many young girls are sold into slavery and forced to work in awful conditions.
  • Taboo 9: Initiation Rituals
    Delve into the painful and sometimes life-threatening rituals that mark the passage from one phase of life to another.
  • Taboo 9: Changing Gender
    Ashley and Tony appear to be a regular, happily married couple, except for one thing – when they met, she was a man and he was a woman.
  • Taboo 9: Proving Ground
    Meet the men who, to prove their manhood, engage in violent duels, including the successful, educated members of the American Fight Club.
  • Taboo 9: Body Modification
    From extra-long necks to surgically enhanced biceps, discover the extreme lengths people go to in their pursuit of the perfect body.
  • Taboo 9: Devils And Demons
    Extreme exorcism rituals from around the globe, including five teenage devil-destroyers from Arizona and an elaborate ceremony in Colombia.
  • Taboo 9: Mating
    Delve into the extreme rituals used around the world in the name of passion. Some people drink their partner's blood to secure the bond.
  • Taboo 9: Nudity
    The act of shedding clothes is explored, from Wiccan witches performing rituals in the nude to the Festival of the Naked Man in Japan.
  • Taboo 9: Strange Syndromes
    Revealing truly bizarre body issues, from a woman who can't put on weight to a young man whose body is huge on one side and skinny on the other.
  • Taboo 9: Old Enough?
    A teenage girl wants to become a man, while nine-year-old Stavros Grillis has been at the wheel of high-performance race cars since he was five.
  • Taboo 9: Pets
    Explore mankind's disturbing obsession with pets, from the dark to the dangerous. Would you sleep safely with pythons or monkeys in your home?
  • Taboo 9: Weird Collections
    When does a harmless hobby become an obsession? Meet the extreme collectors who are challenging their lives, loves and livelihood.
  • Taboo 9: Gross Food
    Extreme food customs are explored in this episode, from live, sliced serpents in Vietnam to lethal blowfish in Japan.
  • Taboo 9: Bizarre Burials
    Explore the ways alternative societies deal with death and burial rituals as we lift the lid on the ultimate taboo.
    Next Showing:  
    Sunday 19 May at 08:45 AM CAT - National Geographic Channel
    Repeats:  
    Thursday 23 May at 20:00 PM CAT - National Geographic Channel

    Friday 24 May at 23:00 PM CAT - National Geographic Channel
  • Taboo 9: Jobs
    Take a look at some of the most disgusting jobs in the world, including cleaning up the scenes of violent deaths.
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